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Sorensen-McGee among six NZ Sevens stars ruled out of SVNS New York
By Finn Morton
New Zealand Sevens have revealed a significant squad update ahead of HSBC SVNS New York this weekend, with Women’s Rugby World Cup standout Braxton Sorensen-McGee and All Blacks Sevens captain Tone Ng Shiu among the six players ruled out.
Paris Olympics gold medallist Jazmin Felix-Hotham is another Black Ferns Sevens star set to miss the event at Sports Illustrated Stadium on March 14 to 15. Frank Vaenuku, Regan Ware and Roderick Solo from the All Blacks Sevens have also been sidelined.
Sorensen-McGee took the Women’s Rugby World Cup by storm last year in England, scoring 11 tries in six appearances. The outside back was later awarded World Rugby Breakthrough of the Year honours after the Black Ferns secured third place at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
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In October, Sorensen-McGee was named to represent the Black Ferns Sevens in international warm-up fixtures during Ignite7 in Tauranga. The teenager debuted on the HSBC SVNS Series at the season-opener in Dubai, playing in every SVNS 1 competition since.
Felix-Hotham is another notable absence in the Black Ferns Sevens lineup ahead of the final regular season stop of the 2025/26 campaign. Maia Davis has been called into the squad, as the New Zealanders look to secure top spot on the standings ahead of the World Championships.
Four players have been brought into the All Blacks Sevens squad, including Michael Manson, who told RugbyPass that he has an all-time top “rugby speed of 39.9 km/h.” Bradley Tocker, Fletcher Morgan and Riley Williams also return after debuting earlier this season.
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The quartet replace four big-name players within the All Blacks Sevens squad, including skipper Ng Shiu, in-form Vaenuku and SVNS Series veteran Ware. Solo, who recently returned to the world’s premier sevens circuit after injury setbacks, is also unavailable.
“Following injuries sustained at the Vancouver SVNS, Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Jazmin Felix-Hotham (Black Ferns Sevens), along with Frank Vaenuku, Regan Ware, Roderick Solo and Tone Ng Shiu (All Blacks Sevens), have been ruled out of the New York tournament and are returning home to New Zealand,” the squad update reads.
“Maia Davis has been called into the Black Ferns Sevens squad, with Bradley Tocker, Fletcher Morgan, Michael Manson and Riley Williams joining the All Blacks Sevens as replacements.”
The Black Ferns Sevens are first on the overall women’s standings ahead of the sixth and final event of the regular season. New Zealand have won four of the five competitions this season, and will face France, Fiji and Great Britain during the pool stage in New York.
As for the All Blacks Sevens, their group couldn’t be much tougher in New York, with the Blitzboks headlining that pool after winning the last two SVNS 1 events in Perth and Vancouver. Reigning Olympic champions France and an in-form Australia outfit round out Pool A.
HSBC SVNS New York
Men’s
Pool A: South Africa, Australia, France, New Zealand
Pool B: Spain, Fiji, Argentina, Great Britain
Women’s
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Fiji, Great Britain
Pool B: Australia, USA, Canada, Japan
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